Sailing Story: Ethan Miles

This year is a year of new beginnings for Ethan Miles. It’s his first year as a father, his first full year living and working in Montana, and his first year committing himself to a new hobby— sailing!

Ethan’s Introduction to Sailing

Ethan’s first experience sailing was actually as a child on lakes in Utah and California. However, he didn’t feel ready to become a full-blown sailor at that time.

 “I wasn’t old enough to really learn how to sail but I do remember being fun,” he explained. 

These experiences were something looked back on fondly and would ultimately inspire him to explore the hobby further once he moved into the Flathead Valley. 

Moving to the Flathead Valley

Last year Ethan and his wife made the decision to seek out a slower pace of life, moving from Utah to Montana. He and his wife both own their own businesses, love the outdoors, and knew the Flathead area would be the perfect spot for them. Ethan also found Dayton to be a hidden gem in the area. 

“Dayton is awesome. It’s its own quirky little town,” he said. “The community there is really tight. Everybody there knows each other and everyone is friendly.”

Before long, Ethan was introduced to Go Sail Flathead Lake and realized working here would be the ideal way to spend time outside and rekindle his love of sailing. 

Working at Go Sail Flathead Lake

This summer, Ethan is joining the Go Sail Flathead Lake team to assist customers when they arrive at the sailing shop. From Monday through Wednesday you can find Ethan taking calls, renting SUPs and paddleboards, and preparing customers for their sailing trips. 

He says one of the best parts of the job is getting to know the clients. “We’ve had people that are really experienced with sailing and people who are completely new to it and [Go Sail Flathead Lake owner] Genevieve has done a really good job making everyone feel welcomed,” he said. 

Ethan is looking forward to learning from Genevieve and the other instructors and hopefully join their ranks as captains in the coming years. 

“Go Sail is a great opportunity for me to learn a new skill,” he said. “I want to eventually get all my certifications.”

Sailing Ambitions

After passing ASA 101 just a few weeks ago, Ethan was excited to get his family out on the water.  “Just this weekend I was able to take my wife and daughter out on the boat,” Ethan said. 

While his daughter is still just a baby, he thinks starting her young will lead to a lifelong passion. “I feel like sailing is something that is a little overlooked for kids,” he explained. “It’s something that’s fun, exciting, and new.”

Ethan also hopes to one day travel down to the Virgin Islands with his family and sail with Go Sail Flathead Lake’s sister company, Go Sail Virgin Islands. 

“It’d be awesome to have that option if I went on vacation with the family,” he said. “Rather than staying at a hotel we could stay in a sailboat for a week!”To meet Ethan yourself and learn more about his sailing story and sailing goals, visit him in the Go Sail Flathead Lake shop! He looks forward to helping you to rent equipment and start your own sailing story on the beautiful Flathead Lake.